CHICAGO (Oct. 30, 2007) – U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team head coach Jay Hoffman named the 12-man roster that will travel to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2007 Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association World Championships from Nov. 5-17.

It is the second trip to Rio de Janeiro for the Paralympians in 2007, who finished in fourth place at the 2007 Para PanAmerican Games earlier this year.

Hoffman returns several players who were with the team at the Para PanAmerican Games, including Marthell Vazquez, who led the team in scoring with three goals. Also returning to the team is Josh Blue, who won Season Four of NBC’s Last Comic Standing in August 2006.

The Paralympic team was drawn into Group A, along with Iran, the Netherlands and Spain. The U.S. kicks off the tournament on Nov. 5 when they take on the Netherlands. Two days later, the Paralympic Men take on Iran, closing out group play on Nov. 9 against Spain.

Second round games begin Nov. 12 with matches for the bottom two finishers in each group. The quarterfinals take place Nov. 13, with the semifinals taking place on Nov. 15 and the final on Nov. 17.

Paralympic soccer is played seven-a-side on a smaller field and with smaller goals than non-disabled soccer. Each team plays with seven men using the International Federation of Associated Football (FIFA) rules which have been slightly modified to accommodate the disabilities of the athletes.

U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team Group Schedule
Date      Opponent
Nov. 5    Netherlands
Nov. 7    Iran
Nov 9     Spain

U.S. Men’s Paralympic National Team Roster By Position
World Championships
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
GOALKEEPERS (1): Keith Johnson (Houston, Texas)
DEFENDERS (4): Chris Ahrens (Rochester, N.Y.), Derek Arneaud (E. Stroudsburg, Pa.), Louis Garrett (Columbus, Ohio), John Theobald (Syracuse, N.Y.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Tommy Latsch (Cleveland, Ohio), Jon McCullough (Washington, D.C.), Josh McKinney (Cary, N.C.), Shaun Schetka (New Brighton, Pa.), Jason Slemons (Eagle River, Alaska)
FORWARDS (2): Josh Blue (Denver, Colo.), Marthell Vazquez (Long Beach, Calif.)